Helochares Explained

Helochares is a genus of water scavenger beetles in the family Hydrophilidae, represented by 161 described species. It is distributed across the Afrotropical, Australasian, Indo-Malayan, Nearctic, and Palearctic realms. [1]

Taxonomy

Helochares is one of the largest and most taxonomically problematic genera within the Acidocerinae. It was originally described by Étienne Mulsant in 1844. [2]

For a long time Helochares contained five subgenera: Batochares (currently recognized as a separate genus [3]), Helochares, Helocharimorphus (now synonymized under Helochares), Hydrobaticus (now synonymized under Helochares), and Sindolus (currently recognized as a separate genus [4]).

Several taxa that used to be recognized as typical Helochares are now assigned to newly created genera (e.g., Colossochares, Novochares) or re-assigned to exinsting genera (i.e., Peltochares), based on a phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data.

Description

As currently defined, Helochares contains small to medium-sized beetles (2–7 mm), which are yellowish to brown in coloration. There is a lot of variation in the impression of the elytral punctation, and the aedeagal forms are also highly variable (see Figure 37 in Girón and Short 2021). A detailed diagnosis can be found in Girón and Short 2021.

Notes and References

  1. Girón. Jennifer C.. Short. Andrew Edward Z.. 2021-06-18. The Acidocerinae (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae): taxonomy, classification, and catalog of species. ZooKeys. 1045. 1–236. 10.3897/zookeys.1045.63810. 1313-2970. 8233300. 34228772. free.
  2. Book: Mulsant, E.. Histoire naturelle des coléoptères de France: Palpicornes. Maison. 1844. 5.
  3. Short. Andrew Edward Z.. Girón. Jennifer C.. Toussaint. Emmanuel F. A.. 2021. Evolution and biogeography of acidocerine water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) shaped by Gondwanan vicariance and Cenozoic isolation of South America. Systematic Entomology. en. 46. 2. 380–395. 10.1111/syen.12467. 232264478. 1365-3113.
  4. Short. Andrew Edward Z.. Girón. Jennifer C.. Toussaint. Emmanuel F. A.. 2021. Evolution and biogeography of acidocerine water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) shaped by Gondwanan vicariance and Cenozoic isolation of South America. Systematic Entomology. en. 46. 2. 380–395. 10.1111/syen.12467. 232264478. 1365-3113.